{"id":368056,"date":"2011-04-04T23:26:00","date_gmt":"2011-04-04T23:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/04\/04\/nigeria-struggles-to-salvage-credible-polls\/"},"modified":"2011-04-04T23:26:00","modified_gmt":"2011-04-04T23:26:00","slug":"nigeria-struggles-to-salvage-credible-polls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/04\/nigeria-struggles-to-salvage-credible-polls\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria struggles to salvage credible polls"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Africa\u2019s most populous nation had to abandon parliamentary polls on Saturday after voting materials failed to arrive in many parts of the country, sparking fury among voters who were promised a break with a history of flawed and violent polls.<\/span><\/p>\n

It then pushed back the whole election timetable \u2014 including a presidential vote, now scheduled for April 16 \u2014 so as to buy time to solve the logistical problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, Nigeria has cancelled good elections and endorsed bad ones. This is perhaps the first time we\u2019re seeing a sham election nipped in the bud,\u201d Tolu Ogunlesi, a columnist \u00a0Next, told Reuters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf that\u2019s not some form of progress, I wonder what is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But some in Africa\u2019s most populous nation saw a conspiracy to deprive them of a free election. The uncertainty risks leaving the country\u2019s 73 million voters disillusioned and heaps additional pressure on the embattled electoral commission.<\/span><\/p>\n

An electoral official in Zaria, Kaduna State was beaten up for announcing the postponement on Saturday, while voters in Lagos remonstrated with police over what would happen to the ballots already cast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt stake could be the credibility of Nigeria\u2019s election system, as well as the government that will result from it,\u201d said Joe Clark, former prime minister of Canada and one of the leaders of a National Democratic Institute observer team.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new election timetable sets parliamentary polls for April 9, presidential elections a week later and governorship elections in the 36 states on April 26, leaving precious little time to get things right.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome voters may not return to the polls on the new date after the short-notice postponement, potentially affecting results,\u201d said Sebastian Boe, an analyst at IHS Global Insight.<\/span><\/p>\n

The shame-faced head of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, said he had been let down by suppliers who blamed shipping problems caused by the tsunami in Japan for failing to get ballot papers to Nigeria on time.<\/span><\/p>\n

One Western diplomat said the logistical challenges identified by Jega were \u201cjust the tip of the iceberg\u201d and that several hundred tonnes of ballot papers and results sheets for the presidential polls alone were yet to arrive.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, it appears that Jega underestimated the tremendous logistical challenge involved in bringing electoral materials from abroad,\u201d the diplomat said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe past two days of confusion and chaos have severely undermined public confidence in INEC, its chairman and the overall electoral process … Still, most Nigerians seem willing to give Jega a chance,\u201d the diplomat said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where voting did begin on Saturday, it was clear people would fight to ensure their votes counted.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the populous Ebute Metta district of Lagos, voters vowed to return by torchlight to watch the count, while in one polling station Kano, a man trying to buy voter cards was beaten unconscious by voters waiting to be registered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe next few days will be key in terms of managing perceptions and restoring confidence,\u201d the diplomat said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe north is abuzz with rumours that the National Assembly elections were cancelled midstream because the ruling party was losing badly. We\u2019re concerned further mis-steps may increase tensions and lead to a deteriorating security environment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One foreign observer monitoring the polls said the greatest risk now was that a \u201ccock-up turns into a conspiracy theory\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis postponement has given a big and undue advantage to the ruling People\u2019s Democratic Party (PDP) and their candidates, who have unhindered access to huge government funds,\u201d said the Niger Delta People\u2019s Salvation Front (NDPSF), one of many activist groups in the country\u2019s volatile southern oil region.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although all of the major political parties met with Jega and agreed on the postponement, similar conspiracy theories were being peddled by opposition officials in parts of the north.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe PDP is aware of the spurious allegations of attempts at rigging made against it by opponents,\u201d the PDP\u2019s presidential campaign council, which is organising President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s election bid, said in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe see such distractions as the rantings of those who see failure and envisage defeat at the polls and we urge our teeming supporters not to fret,\u201d it said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jega could now struggle to rebuild confidence if opportunistic politicians rile up the electorate, risking a repeat of the violent and flawed polls of 2007, when observers questioned whether the outcome reflected the will of the people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNigeria is a huge, complex country with a history over many years of mostly very bad elections,\u201d said Antony Goldman, a Nigerian expert and head of London-based PM Consulting.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been a gathering awareness that a further deterioration from the dismal standards set in 2007 might threaten constitutional rule, and potentially the integrity of the nation itself,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the elections can now pass off peacefully, the situation could perhaps be salvaged. But an already immense challenge has become more difficult still.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The rest is here:
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Africa\u2019s most populous nation had to abandon parliamentary polls on Saturday after voting materials failed to arrive in many parts of the country, sparking fury among voters who were promised a break with a history of flawed and violent polls. It then pushed back the whole election timetable \u2014 including a presidential vote, now scheduled for April 16 \u2014 so as to buy time to solve the logistical problems. \u201cIn the past, Nigeria has cancelled good elections and endorsed bad ones. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-368056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nNigeria struggles to salvage credible polls - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/04\/nigeria-struggles-to-salvage-credible-polls\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Nigeria struggles to salvage credible polls - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Africa\u2019s most populous nation had to abandon parliamentary polls on Saturday after voting materials failed to arrive in many parts of the country, sparking fury among voters who were promised a break with a history of flawed and violent polls. 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